Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-01-20
HIGH SOCIETY DINNERS.
STYLE OF NEW YORK ARISTO-
CRATS AT HN TABLE.

plioG Wtl. Coats OF Arms-sn Eng
lish Dinner Followed by Gambling IN
The Engiish Style-PIatOnic Friend
shtps-A New Fad of Questionable
Propriety.
Prem the Nea0 york Nail and EoDress
''There are two kinds OF dinners given
by society people here" said well-known
society leader recently. zone is the kind
gwen by old New York families whose
ancestors have been here for generations.
These are of the most elaborate charac-
ter. Why, Mrs. AstOr's dinners, for eX-
ample, are banquets. The table is de-
light o the eye. 1t is set with the most
exquisite china and glassware, and pic
turesQue with the family plate. Candida
bra are brought out a hundred or a hum
dIed and fifty years old, and their weight
Is simply marvellous. Then flowers are
used IN the greatest possible protusion,
the display, however, being Kept strictly
within the limits of good taste. With a
table so arranged the result is picture
that does the heart of an artist good TO
look at.
Then the dinner itself. Who can
speak the eXcellences of real American
dinner? IL embraces everything that is
good in all the countries of the world.
The viands are American, and have YOU
ever stopped to reflect how many delica-
cies we have for the table which belong
here and cannot be found in other cotn-
tries? The eagle may tie the national
bird, but if ever L deliver Fourth OF
July GRAFTON l shall certainly ring in
tribute to the sterling merits Of the can
vasback duck. And the terrapin, too. |
Ehall not forget them, not while memory
lasts and the choicest sensations of the
palate are telegraphed in proper course
land courses TO the brain. How
ever. to return. The viands are
American. The cooking is French
with suggestion of Italian,
and the comfortable and delicate fashion
in which the dinner is served and par
taken OF is thoroughly aud honestly Ger
man. Americans can eat rapidly when
they wish to do so. When was young
I fellow travelling through the country for
pleasure / have often eaten a lunch
OF four courses in the thrilling interval
popularity known as five minutes for re-
freshments, and | nave disposed of a con
siderable dessert between the time the
engine bell began to ring and the wheels
began to 20 round. But such feats are
simply tours de force. The genuine
American at his dinner in the evening
has always been accustomed to take
more time over it than the fashionable
diner OF any other country in the world,
with the single exception of Germany.
This is one kind Of dinner, and very
good kind, too, that is given IN New York.
The other kind | nave referred to is that
in favor among the Western and CalitOr-
MAN people who have come to New York
to live. They have no old silver. They
have no heiroOms, and they are far too
sensible 10 buy them and have their mono
grams inscribed thereon, as they might
easily do. What do you say? That is
never done. Evidently you don't know
New York society. L have known Boston
parvenues to tuy English plate already
supplied with coats of arms. etc, and
then faithfully live up to the pictures on
The silver. Here, this is positive fact:
An English Lord who came
over here to visit some Ameri-
can friends was very much pleased to find
that all the bowls, pitchers, and glasses
IN the apartments devoted to his use
bore his family crest. He commented on
the delicacy oftne compliment to his wife.
They found out subsequently, however,
that several years before their American
'sfriends had appropriated the pictorial de-
vice for their own use simply because
they thought it pretty and attractive.
W hen the guests chamber had been done
sup by the artist, then admiration for it
had weakened, and the cOat-of-arms in
use in the other portions of the house
was entirely different. However, to get
back to the dinners once more. Ali
ners in the English style. Everything is
austerely simple. The silver on the table
is hammered metal and unpretentiOus IN
appearance. You Will find little silver
water pitchers, holding, l should say. less
than pint. There are no flowers OF any
account. Sometimes q few maidenhair
ferns. Tina. is all. Pretty hard on the
florists, isn't it: No decorations what
ever. In the middle of the table there Is
placed small golden tankard. There is
nothing in it. | haVn't an idea what 1t is
put there for, and that is all there is on
the table. IL looks very bare, very bare
indeed. IL is saiG to Oe the exact English
style. II it Is don't like IL.
lin serving the dinner 1t is served
altogether too rapidly, according TO my
way OF thinking. They advocate Ma
pOleOn's maxim that no more than an
hour and nalt should be spent at the
dinner table. The consequence is that
one course follows another VITA breath
less activity, and dinner is transformed
4 from social ceremony into an eating
match, and you have TO look sharp, sir,
bevilish sharp. or you won't get enough
TO satisfy your appetite. Your. plate is
wnisked away before You are aware of it.
x 1t disappears with the rapldity of one OF
those silver COINS which the cOnjurer
holds temporarily out to little boys, APP
pealing 10 the hungry edge OF appetite
with bare imagination OF FEAST Well,
sir. this is an English dinner just as |
have described 1t. | am sorry to see the
liking for them gaining ground. | do not
70 to them II can help it. | accept my
Invitations Tor dinners 80 as 10 leave
them out so far as possible.
but these people are not satisfied
with the English dinner. They keep up
the English style to the finish OF the
evening. Ana this includes gambling,
which begins almost Immediately on RS
ing from the table. o, yes; the ladi
Join in. The most inveterate players
know are rich women, and they usually
win. From whom Well, Young men,
for the most part, who cannot afford to
lose. And then there are women VINO
lose and cripple themselves financially
and bring on serious difficulties and com.
plicatons with their husbands. The
favOrite game is poker. And it is sur
prlsing the recklessness with which the
gaming is carried on. Why, one woman
know lost 81 200 N Newport last sum.
mer. These rich women say that they
amuse themselves playing, and do not see
why they shouldn't do 1t. Those who
disapproye of the practice usually leave
at the cad of the dinner, before the tables
are drawn out, and they are laughed at
for their scruples and referred 10 as